Don’t give up yet, Road Trips Gardeners! Spring is less than three months away.

Plan to attend the Antiques & Garden Fair, returning for its 12th year, April 20 through 22, 2012, on the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois. (If you’re really keen, plan to be there for the preview evening from 6 to 10 p.m. April 19, 2012).

More than 100 dealers from Europe and the United States bring antique garden furnishings, botanical art and home and garden design to sell during the Fair. Indoor display gardens will interpret the theme “Around the Garden Table” and will be donated and installed by landscape designers, including William Heffernan Landscapes, Maria Smithburg with Manfredini Landscaping and Design, Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, Inc. and Schmechtig Landscape Company.

Shoppers on the hunt for classical and contemporary furnishings, botanical art, and jewelry will find a variety of treasures in every price range. Staged in the Regenstein Center with tents over the Esplanade, Rose Garden and Courtyards, the Fair will feature antique dealers and garden-wares, plus magnificent and inspirational exhibit gardens.

Fair hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 through 22, 2012. Single-day tickets at the door are $17; $14 for members. Children under age 16 are free with an adult. Strollers are not permitted in the Fair, and parking is $20 per car. Proceeds from the Fair benefit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s conservation, education and research programs.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 24 distinct display gardens and four natural areas.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, opened in 1972, is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA).

(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden)